One Killed, One Missing After Rock Slab Falls On Boat

A visitor was killed on Friday, September 28th, when a rock slab fell on a boat at Lake Powell; another person is missing and presumed drowned. Park dispatch was contacted by visitors who reported finding a capsized vessel under a small sandstone alcove within Lake Canyon. They had reportedly passed the vessel in the same location approximately 20 minutes earlier and had waved to the two passengers on board. Rangers quickly arrived on the scene and soon recovered the body of a woman. The alcove under which the boat was located is approximately 20 feet wide by 20 feet high. It appears that the rock slab, approximately 250 square feet in size, fractured from the alcove wall and fell on the bow of the boat, causing it to capsize. The accident is still under investigation and the park’s underwater recovery team is assisting in the search for the missing person. Water depths at the accident site are approximately 150 feet. Rangers are still working to identify the victims and to provide notification to next of kin. The IC is Greg Kouns.